Harry Potter and the Alchemist's Book
by OopsIBrokeMyReed
Summary: I started writing this in high school '05 and never finished it. AU after OOTP I believe. Harry is having dreams about a book that holds the secret to defeating Voldemort. To find that book, however, he must use the most powerful kind of magic: love.
1. Worlds Collide

**A/N: I'm not sure why I decided to revisit this story. I began writing it my sopohmore year of high school and I just got too busy to finish it (not to mention writer's block!). Now I'm halfway through my freshman year of college and, with nothing better to do over my break, I've decided to try and take this story somewhere. Any plot suggestions would be greatly appreciated! **

**Chapter 1: Becoming One **

The town of Little Whinging was quiet. It was a humid July night, and the no-nonsense inhabitants of Number 4, Privet Drive, were soundly sleeping. That is, except for one 15 year old boy. He watched the luminous hands on his alarm clock slowly move, waiting for day to break. His vivid emerald green eyes reflected the hazy orange streetlamp outside his window. Barely visible under his mop of raven hair was a razor thin, lightning bolt scar.

Harry Potter was not your normal, average, every day teenager. Not only was he a wizard, but he also carried a very dark secret; a secret that only he and Dumbledore knew about. The knowledge that he had to kill or be killed haunted Harry all summer. When he wasn't having dreams about Voldemort, he was having dreams about Sirius. He always stood just beyond the veil in the Department of Mysteries. He was trying to talk to Harry, to tell him something, but Harry could never understand him. He knew one thing though; the dreams were getting more frequent and clearer each night. Harry often woke up, drenched in a cold sweat, shaking, wondering what it all meant.

Despite these nightmares, Harry was having a much better summer than the last. He received letters from Ron, Hermione, and sometimes Lupin every three days. They told him what the Ministry was doing, but never in detail in case the owls were intercepted. The Daily Prophet stopped ridiculing Harry, and now saw him as a real hero. This didn't stop Harry for canceling his subscription; in his opinion, it was a waste of Knuts.

Even the Dursleys weren't treating him as horrible as they had before. Harry suspected that Aunt Petunia had something to do with it; after all, she knew how serious Voldemort's return was. However, she didn't know about the prophecy. She had no idea what Harry was going through. She and Uncle Vernon wouldn't even let Dudley go out with his little friends. Surprisingly, Dudley was fine with that; he was afraid of normal wizards, and one that was on the loose to kill Harry made him want to curl up in a ball and cry like a baby. Uncle Vernon more or less ignored Harry, but Harry knew that he was afraid. This was proven one afternoon when Uncle Vernon hired a man to put in a home security system. When asked why, he said, "Haven't you heard of the recent crime wave?" Harry chuckled, thinking '_you mean your son and his cronies?'_

Harry sat up in bed. It was 6:00 am, the perfect time to work out. He had been doing push-ups, sit-ups, and lifting some of Dudley's old weights to get back in shape after his ban from Quidditch. He wanted to make sure that he played his best, just to make Umbridge mad. He hated that old toad. He found that the exercise took his mind off of Sirius and the prophecy. At 8:00, he decided to head downstairs for some breakfast. He put on some jeans and a hoodie, and just as he turned the doorknob, he heard Aunt Petunia scream,

"Harry! Get down here!" He hurried down the stairs and into the living room, where the Dursley family was gathered around the TV. "Look!" she said, pointing at the TV. A news reporter was talking about a family with 2 small children that had apparently been murdered. Harry's insides went cold.

"…the cause of death is currently unknown, but doctors have ruled out poisoning, stabbing, hanging, suffocating, beating, shooting, drowning, and natural causes." Harry glanced at Dudley; his eyes were as big as dinner plates

"Well?" Aunt Petunia asked him.

"It's Voldemort," Harry whispered. She clasped her hands over her mouth.

"Vernon! Do something!" Uncle Vernon shot out of his chair and armed the security system. He locked all the doors and windows. Harry just shook his head. He knew that none of that would protect them. He went back upstairs and sat on his bed. This was the first unnatural death that he'd heard of since Voldemort came back. He got up and started pacing. Did Ron and Hermione know? What about Lupin? He decided to write them. Just as he found a clean piece of parchment, ink, and a quill, he heard a knock at his door.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"It's me, can I come in?" said a voice. The door opened to reveal Dudley.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Can I ask you some stuff?" he asked. Harry looked at him skeptically.

"I guess." Dudley came in and sat on Harry's bed. He heard it creak and groan under his weight. Dudley glanced around the room nervously, taking in the trunk in the corner, the spell books on the desk, and the wand sticking out of Harry's pocket. Then he looked at Harry.

"Who is Voldemort?" Harry sighed. How was he going to explain this to Dudley? It was like a five year old had just asked him where babies come from.

"Well…to know about Voldemort, first you have to know about blood. There are 4 types of wizards: pure bloods, half-bloods, muggle borns, and squibs. Pure bloods come from two pure blood parents, half bloods come from one muggle born and one pure blood or one muggle and one pure blood, muggle borns come from two muggle parents, and squibs have no magical powers but come from two pure bloods."

"Ok…" Dudley said, trying to take in all the information. "Then what does that have to do with Voldemort?"

"Well, Voldemort himself is a half blood, but not many people know that. He pretends to be a pure blood, and his goal is to purge the whole world of anything but pure blood wizards. Now me, I'm a half blood. My dad was a pure blood, but my mom was muggle born. My parents knew that Voldemort was after them, so they went into hiding. However, someone betrayed them, and sold them to Voldemort. He came and killed them, and when he tried to kill me, the curse rebounded, almost killing him. He's been waiting all these years for his followers to find him, and they finally have. Now he's back…" Harry said, trailing off. Dudley's mouth was gaping.

"So he's after you?" he asked.

"Mostly, but he'll kill anyone who gets in his way." Harry replied.

"Can't anyone stop him?"

"Well…" Harry hesitated. Should he tell him about the prophecy? He supposed it wouldn't make much difference. "I have to."

"What?"

"I have to kill him. If I don't, he'll kill me. I'm the only one who can stop him."

"Wow…" Dudley said, stunned. "I…I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for being so mean to you all these years…"

Now it was Harry's turn to be stunned. He couldn't believe that Dudley was apologizing, after beating him to a pulp so many times and treating him like garbage.

"You're kidding, right?" Harry asked.

"No, I'm not! It's just that…well if you're the only one who can save all of us…what are they called? Muggers?"

"Muggles," Harry said. "

"Right, those. Well if you're the only one who can save us, then I figure I'd better be nicer to you." He held out his hand. "Truce?" Harry shook it.

"Truce." Dudley stood up and left the room. Harry sat on his bed, still not believing his ears. It was like his two strange worlds were becoming one. It took him a moment to realize that he still had to write Ron, Hermione, and Lupin. He looked at the calendar hanging on his wall to date his letters, and with a jolt, realized that tomorrow was his 16th birthday. He finished up his letters and sat them on his desk; Hedwig was out hunting. He decided that, instead of waiting for her, he'd go downstairs and get something to eat


	2. An Unexpected Gift

**Here's chapter 2! I actually have 11 chapters done...just give me the word and I'll keep them coming until I run out! )**

**Chapter 2: An unexpected gift**

When Harry entered the dining room, Dudley was sitting at the table. Despite his vigorous training for boxing and starvation diet, he still took up a whole side of the table by himself. He gave Harry a weak smile and offered him a piece of toast. Harry took it, nodding in thanks. He didn't think Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would like their son to be friends with someone as 'abnormal' as him. Uncle Vernon was reading the daily news, and Aunt Petunia was drinking tea, trying to stay calm. She seemed very nervous to Harry…well more nervous than usual anyway. He ate his toast in silence, and then went back upstairs to see if Hedwig had returned. When he opened the door to his room, he saw Hedwig sitting on the top of his wardrobe.

"C'mere Hedwig! I have some letters for you." She fluttered down onto his shoulder, and he picked up the letters and tied them to her leg. She took off through the open window, and Harry sighed. He hoped that they'd write back soon.

"Harry! Get down here!" came Aunt Petunia's voice. Harry sighed and went downstairs. She was standing in the living room next to a bucket filled with soapy water.

"You can't just mope around your bedroom all day! Make yourself useful! Scrub these walls so we can repaint them. I don't want to see a single speck of dirt, do you hear me?" she snapped.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia," he sighed. _So much for Aunt Petunia being decent to me_, he thought. He picked up the rag and started scrubbing. He scrubbed until his arms and neck ached for rest. By the time he was finished, it was dinnertime. Harry slowly made his way to the dining room and sank into a chair, squinting his tired eyes against the glaring lights. He ate his charred pork chop without a fuss and went upstairs, and lay on his bed. In less than five minutes, he was sound asleep.

_"Harry! Harry, can you hear me?"_

_"Sirius, is that you?"_

_"Yes, it's me. Listen to me Harry, I don't have much time! The book…you have to get the book before he does!"_

_"What book?" _

_"The one you love will lead you to the book! The book holds the secret to defeating evil...get it before….he…does…."_

_"Who!?"_

_"Harry…Potter…" _

"Sirius!" Harry shot up in bed, his scar burning. The dream…it had been so real! Sirius was standing on the other side of the veil, talking to him. Then Sirius faded, and Voldemort appeared, whispering his name. Sirius had said something about a book…_what book?_ Harry wondered. And something about the one he loved…but he didn't love anyone, did he? Harry shook his head.

"It was just a stupid dream," he told himself firmly. He walked over to his mirror and looked in it. The reflection staring back looked older than he remembered. He had definitely grown a few inches, and was starting to fill out a bit more from working out so much. His hair was still as messy as ever, and his eyes almost glowed in the dim light.

"Who are you?" he asked his reflection. Then he sat on his bed and looked at the clock. It read 11:57 pm. In a few minutes, he would be sixteen. He smiled as he remembered a night, so long ago when he was laying on the floor of a grubby old cabin, staring at his cousin's watch, waiting for his 11th birthday. That was the night that he met Hagrid, and Hagrid told him all about being a wizard. He fondly remembered his first trip to Diagon Alley, his first broomstick, and Norbert the baby dragon. A soft tapping at the window interrupted his memories. He saw Hedwig sitting on the window ledge, waiting to get in. he opened the window and she swooped in and landed on top of her cage, clutching a small package in her beak. Harry took it and opened it, thinking it might be a birthday present. Inside the brown paper was a broken sneakoscope. Harry went to pick it up, and he instantly felt the familiar jerk behind his navel, and was pulled through a swirling world of color.

He landed with a soft thud in a dark room. He couldn't even see his hand two inches from his face. He stayed still, not knowing where he was. Slowly pulling his wand out of his pocket, he said,

"_Lumos!"_ All of a sudden he was blinded as the lights were turned on, and a whole group of people yelled,

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!" He stumbled back in shock. There were balloons everywhere, kegs of butterbeer, and the table was laden down with all of his favorite foods. He saw Ron, Hermione, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Lupin, Tonks, Moody, and many others.

"Whoa…" Harry managed to say. He was speechless. He'd never had a real birthday party before. A quick glance told him that he was a Grimmuald Place, the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, and Sirius's house.

"Surprised?" Ron asked. Harry nodded.

"If I woke up tomorrow morning with my head stapled to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am now," he said, laughing.

"Well come on then! Let's eat!" Ron grabbed a plate and started piling food on it. Harry turned to Hermione and she reached up and gave him a hug.

"It's nice to have you back. You've gotten taller!"

"Only a little…" Harry replied, his cheeks turning pink. He let go of her and surveyed the room. It seemed like somebody was missing…

"Mrs. Weasley, where are Fred and George?"

"Oh, Harry dear, they've went to get your things. You'll be staying here the rest of the summer!"

"You mean…they're going to the Dursleys? Alone?" Harry asked nervously.

"Don't worry dear, I've told them that if they pull any hijinks, they'll have to answer to me!" she said.

"Whey tblook teh crar!" Ron said, his mouth full of food.

"Ron, would you mind speaking in English, please?" Hermione said impatiently. He swallowed.

"They took the car!" he said, laughing.

"Seriously?" Harry said, a worried look on his face.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Well, they haven't been treating me as horrible this summer…even Dudley and I are on decent terms…" he said. "He asked me about Voldemort." Ron flinched at the sound of his name.

"Come on Harry, let's forget You-Know-Who for a while! It's your birthday!" Harry nodded and grabbed a plate. He filled it and sat between Ron and Hermione.

"Wotcher, Harry!" said Tonks, smiling. She had short spiky jet black hair and vivid green eyes today. Harry looked at her, frowning.

"Um, Tonks? Are you trying to look like me?" she snickered.

"Just for the occasion!" She said.

"She was walking down the hallway one day and I thought she was you!" Hermione said.

"That could come in useful if we ever need a decoy of Harry," said a grizzly voice. Mad-Eye Moody was drinking out of his hip flask, his magical eye spinning in its socket, taking in the room and all the people.

"Don't be silly, Moody!" said Lupin.

"Um, thanks Moody…I think," Harry said. He began eating, and managed to get second helpings of everything, as he always did with Mrs. Weasley's cooking. By the time dinner was finished, he was stuffed.

"Ok, who's ready for presents?" Mrs. Weasley asked. She led them to the living room, which was much cleaner than Harry remembered it, and started handing him presents. He got a new sweater from Mrs. Weasley, along with some homemade fudge. Tonks got him a wand holster,

"So you won't blow a buttock off, Harry!" she said. Moody got him a new and improved invisibility cloak that allowed him to pass through solid objects. Ron got him a humongous box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Harry groaned at the thought of more food. Dumbledore even sent him a gift; a miniature pensive the size of an ashtray. Lupin handed him a book entitled _Defensive Spells; Conquer the Darkness_. He set it aside, planning to read it later.

"Oh dear, I almost forgot the cake!" Mrs. Weasley said, disappearing into the kitchen. She returned seconds later, directing a huge cake with her wand. Harry vividly remembered the floating pudding of Dobby's in his second year, and snickered. The cake was in the shape of a Quidditch field, complete with a minuscule snitch circling around one of the goal posts, which had candles on top. Mrs. Weasley lighted the candles with a wave of her wand, and Harry was treated to an off-key, yet rousing rendition of Happy Birthday. When they were finished, Harry made a quick wish and blew out the candles.

Hours later, Harry lie alone in his room. The twins still weren't back with his things, so he was still wearing the jeans and hoodie from that morning. He was absorbed in the book that Lupin gave him, and he couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts to try out some of the new spells. He had just finished reading about a deflection spell when he heard a soft knock at his door. He quietly closed his book and set it on his nightstand, then crossed the room to the door and opened it. Hermione stood at the door in her pajamas, holding a small box in her hand.

"Hermionie? What are you doing here?" Harry asked.

"I wanted to give you your birthday present," she whispered. "Can I come in?"

"I guess…" he said. They sat on his bed and she handed him the box.

"Happy birthday!" she said. He opened the box. Inside was a ring, shaped like the head of a lion. In the lion's mouth was a shining ruby.

"Wow…" Harry said. He had never been very fond of jewelry, but he suspected that the ring was for more than looks.

"It's a friendship ring," Hermione explained. "I have one just like it, see?" she held up her hand, and Harry saw the same ring, only smaller. "They're bound by magic. If one of us is in trouble, the other's ring will tingle and glow. The only way that it can be taken off is if somehow our friendship is broken." Harry slipped it on his finger and tried to pull it off. It wouldn't move.

"Wow Hermione…this is great! It's perfect…now if something happens, we'll know," Harry said, smiling at her. "Does Ron have one?"

"Well…not yet. He's been kind of a jerk this summer, and I didn't have enough money with me to get a third one. Besides, I thought of you when I picked it out…not of Ron," she said, blushing. Harry noticed, and all of a sudden he felt guilty. He wondered if he should tell her about the prophecy. After all, she had just shown him an amazing gesture of friendship. Then she stood up and said,

"I'd better get back to bed then. I'm really glad you like it, Harry."

"I love it," he replied, walking with her to the door.

"'night, Harry," she said. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. He felt his face turning red as he said,

"'night Hermione." He closed the door and sat on his bed. He still felt guilty about not telling her about the prophecy.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to do it. I'm going to tell her, and Ron," he told himself firmly. Without another word, he lie down and fell asleep, enjoying the dreams of his first real birthday party


	3. Prophecies All Around

**Italics mean it's a dream (but I'm sure you could've guessed that). **

_Harry was walking in a foggy graveyard. There were faceless ghastly people all around him, and they were whispering. Harry began to run, and the people followed him. He thought he heard them calling his name, _

_"Harry! Save us Harry!" Harry stopped and looked around. He knew that voice. _

_"Sirius!" he yelled. "Sirius where are you?"_

_"Harry! He killed us all. Only when he is dead can we all rest," said another ghostly figure. He then saw Sirius. _

_"Sirius! What should I do?"_

_"Harry the book will have the key to defeating evil."_

_"What book?" Harry asked desperately. _

_"I can't tell you. You have to find it, along with the one you love. Only you can unlock it's secrets." Sirius said. _

_"Sirius, why can't you come back?" Harry asked. _

_"Harry, the dead cannot return. We can't rest until you kill Voldemort. We are all dead because of him. See how many he has killed?" Sirius said. All of a sudden there was a blinding flash of green light, and the ghosts were screaming. A great green snake was coming out of the fog, straight at Harry. "Harry, you should leave now."_

_"Wait! Who can help me find the book?" Harry asked frantically. _

_"In time you will realize who it is," Sirius said. "Please Harry, my last request to you is that you beat lord Voldemort and free us all. Now go!" Harry started running through the graveyard. His scar was burning white hot. He made it to a wrought iron fence and was trapped. He turned around and saw the snake. He watched as it swiftly changed into a man, but kept the same face. Lord Voldemort had him cornered. Before he could even move, Voldemort had him cornered. _

_"Harry Potter…" the snakelike face hissed. "We meet again. Tell me, what does the prophecy say?" _

_"I'll never tell you!" Harry screamed. He reached for his wand, and discovered that he didn't have one. Voldemort was closing in on him. He turned his wand on Harry and screamed,_

_"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Harry felt the beam of green light penetrate his body, and he screamed…_

"AHHHRGH!" Harry yelled. He sat up in bed, clutching his forehead. His scar was burning, and he was in a cold sweat. Ron gave a particularly loud snore but didn't wake up. He heard footsteps and Hermione burst in his door.

"Harry! What's wrong?" she said, looking frightened.

"T-they were all dead. All of them…" he said, shaking.

"Who's dead? Did you have another vision?" she asked.

"I…I saw Sirius. He warned me about a book…and then Voldemort came. He did the Avada Kedavra curse on me, and then I woke up. He tried to kill me…" Harry said. "Sirius was trying to warn me…It's all my fault!" Harry yelled in frusteration. Hermionie sat beside him on his bed. She put her hand on his cheek and turned his face toward hers and was surprised to see tears in his eyes; she had never seen Harry cry before.

"Harry, it's not your fault…" said Hermione. "It's Voldemort's."

"Hermione, I think you'd better go. It seems like anyone who I get close to ends up dead…" said Harry, turning away from her.

"Well then let me die!" she said. "I would rather die at the hands of Voldemort being your friend than I would being your enemy. I just want to be with you, Harry! I care about you!" Then she paused, realizing what she just said, and her face turned beet red.

"How could you be friends with a murderer?" Harry whispered, wiping his face with the back of his hand.

"Harry, you're not a murderer," Hermione said, taking his hand.

"I'm not talking about Sirius," Harry said. She sighed.

"Harry, I know something happened that night, after we escaped from the Ministry. You've been acting strange ever since, and now that I know this isn't about Sirius, I'm not so sure. You can tell me Harry. I promise I won't tell anybody, or judge you based on what I believe. I'm here for you, Harry," Hermione said. She squeezed his hand, and he looked her in the eye.

"Dumbledore told me about a prophecy that was made about me before I was born. It was made by professor Trelawny and Dumbledore heard it in person. They also kept a record of it in the ministry, which is what Voldemort wanted to get. He only heard the first part…but this is what I heard:The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."

Hermione closed her eyes, a look of pain on her face.

"Why do they put the burden on you, as if you haven't already had a hard enough life," she whispered. "Harry…I want you to know that I'll stand by you through this. You can't carry this on your own, nobody can."

"I know…do you think I haven't been thinking that all summer? Why does everything happen to me?" Harry said, burying his face in his hands.

"I don't know…" Hermione said sadly. Ron snored again and they both jumped. Hermione looked at the alarm clock on harry's rickety bedside table. "Well, it's pretty late. I'd better get back in my room before Ron wakes up and thinks we've been…well never mind," she said, sliding off Harry's bed. Harry lie back down and closed his eyes. Hermione gently ruffled his raven hair and whispered, "'night Harry."

"Night Hermione…" Harry whispered back. "And…thanks."

When Harry woke up the next morning, he was thoroughly drained from his lack of sleep, for he couldn't fall asleep until hours after Hermione left. He heard a knock at the door and a familiar voice say,

"Rise and shine, Harry!" He opened the door and Fred and George were standing in front of his door, directing his trunk with their wands. "Stand back!" Fred warned. With a jab of his wand, he sent the trunk flying into his room. It bounced off the back wall, causing the window to rattle violently, and hit the ground with a _thud_. Seconds later, Hedwig flew in the door and landed on the top of the old wardrobe.

"Thanks guys," Harry said gratefully. "You didn't freak out the dursley's too much, did you?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"Only a little, " said George, grinning wickedly. "Come on, mom's got breakfast ready!" they both disappeared with a pop and harry closed the door. He quickly changed his clothes and went downstairs. When he entered the kitchen, he saw Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny, Mrs. Weasly, and Lupin sitting at the table.

"Lupin! I thought you left!" Harry said, sitting beside him and helping himself to bacon and eggs.

"Nope, I'm here to take you on a little trip today," he said.

"Harry, dear, they've sent the booklists early this year. Here's yours," said

Mrs. Weasly, handing him an envelope with the Hogwarts crest on it. He took it and slit it open, glancing at the booklist.

_The standard book of spells, grade 6 _

_Disguises to fool Dark Wizards: how to operate undercover_

"Huh, only two new books. Wonder who they got for the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher?" Ron said, examining his own list. Lupin and Mrs. Weasly exchanged significant glances, smiling.

"I think you'll be very happy with the new teacher," Lupin said.

"Ooo, who is it?" Hermione asked eagerly.

"I think you should wait until school starts to find out," Mrs. Weasly said sternly.

"Fine, don't tell us," Ron said indignantly, stuffing his mouth with bacon.

"So are we going to Diagon Alley today then?" Harry asked Lupin.

"Yes, but you're coming with me first. Since you're sixteen now, you get to hear…er…some things."

"What things?" Harry asked. All eyes were now on him and Lupin now.

"Harry…we're going to listen to Sirius' and your parents' wills."


	4. The Reading of the Wills

Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Mrs. Weasly stood around the large stone fireplace in the kitchen. Fred and George quickly apparated with a _pop_, and Lupin followed them suit. Mrs. Weasly took a handful of Floo powder and threw it into the roaring fire. It instantly turned emerald green, and she stepped in and yelled,

"Diagon Alley!" she disappeared with a _whoosh_. Harry, Ron and Hermione followed. Soon they were all standing inside Gringotts Wizarding Bank in front of a huge marble fireplace. Lupin was standing at the counter talking to a surly looking Goblin. When he saw Harry, he beckoned for him to come over. Hermione gave Harry a quick hug and said,

"Good luck." Ron raised his eyebrows at their exchange, shrugged, and then said,

"We'll meet you at the ice cream shop later, ok?"

"Right," Harry said. He walked over to Lupin and stood at the counter.

"Harry, Griphook here is going to take us to one of the private rooms to listen to the will. Then we'll go to Sirius' volt and see what's in there. You're the only person who can open it," Lupin explained.

"Ok," said Harry. He followed Lupin and Griphook into a side room. Griphook motioned for them to have a seat in one of the squashy poufs that were gathered around a small table. Griphook took a set of keys over to a cupboard in the corner, unlocked it, and pulled out a pensive. He set it on the table and prodded it with his finger.

"This is a special pensive, young Potter," Griphook explained. "Only the finger of a Gringott's goblin can activate it, much like the safe that held the Sorcerer's stone. If anybody else touches it, they'll be sucked in and trapped forever," he said, smiling nastily. "So, whose will will we be looking at today?"

"Sirius Black," Harry said. Griphook frowned.

"But Sirius Black isn't dead…is he?" Harry nodded once, forcing back tears.

"He died this summer…" he whispered.

"I am sorry young Potter…I did not know. He was a friend of yours then?"

"He was my godfather…and he was innocent," Harry said simply.

"Very well then…Show me the will of Sirius Black!" Griphook commanded the pensive. The cloudy contents swirled, and a ghostly shape rose out of the pensive. It took form, and Harry recognized it as a much younger Sirius. He gasped. The form of Sirius Black began talking.

_"Well, if you're seeing this, then I've probably kicked the bucket. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Now, Harry, in case we never meet, I want you to know that I'm your godfather, and that I'm also innocent of the murder that I was accused of. Please forgive me for not being there to watch you grow up. Ok, enough of the sentimental rubbish. I'm giving the house and everything in it to you. Also, you get anything that's in the Black family volt. Moony old friend, you can have anything you want from the house, with Harry's consent. The same goes for your friends…and I daresay you'll find something to give your girlfriend in my volt," he said, winking. "Harry, I always thought of you as a son, and remember that I love you. I know about the prophecy, and I know it must be a terrible burden to carry; believe me, I know. Your parents went through the same thing. Please Harry, defeat Lord Voldemort. If you don't find a way…no one will." _

The form of Sirius disappeared and Harry closed his eyes. He missed Sirius now, more than ever. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and realized that it was Lupin's. He forced himself to look at Griphook and say

"Ok, now I need to see the will of Lily and James Potter." The goblin nodded and said,

"Lily and James Potter!" This time, two cloudy figures rose out of the pensive, and they took form of Lily and James.

"_Hello Harry," Lily said gently. "If you're seeing this, then James and I are dead…dead at the hands of lord Voldemort."_

"_Son, we feel like we have to explain why we were killed…so here it goes," James said. "When we were married, a Seer made a prophecy about us. She said that we would have a son, and that son will be the Dark Lord's equal. She also said that it is not our fate to defeat Voldemort, but to die at his hands. You were supposed to be raised by Muggles, as I understand it, and not know of your abilities until you turn twelve. Right now, you're sixteen…almost a man. Harry, we know about your prophecy because it could only be fulfilled if ours was."_

"_So we knew we were going to die," Lily said, "so we spent every waking moment with you. We're so sorry that we weren't around during your childhood, and won't be around for the rest of your life, but you must understand, we did it so you could defeat Voldemort. I know this pressure must be unbearable for you Harry, but I'm sure that you can overcome evil and defeat the Dark Lord."_

"_Well, now that THAT'S over," James said, "We're leaving everything to you, Harry. You already have all of the money in our vault, but you also get our land in Gordic's Hollow, and the house if it is still there." _

"_Harry, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us. We love you and wish you the best of luck in school, and in life. Please Harry…beat him." _

The images faded. It took all the strength Harry possessed not to break down right there. But he looked up at Lupin and said,

"Ok, I'm ready." Lupin escorted him out of Gringott's and into the bright sunlight of Diagon Alley.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Lupin asked. Harry managed a weak smile before saying,

"Sure. I'm going to go find Ron and Hermione, ok?"

"All right, but be careful. You know how dangerous things are now."

"Yeah yeah, " said Harry laughing.

He walked down the marble staircase and went to Flourish and Blott's bookstore. He walked up to the counter and asked for his two new books, then went to Madam Malikin's Robe Shop to get new uniforms; he had undergone another growth spurt over the summer and now stood about 6 foot 2, a full five inches taller than he was last summer. He rang the bell at the counter and heard a voice come from the back room.

"Just a minute!"

The door was ajar, so Harry took a quick peek inside. What he saw made his jaw drop. Hermione was getting fitted for new dress robes, and she looked…_amazing!_ Harry thought. They were midnight blue with a halter top and silver embroidery around the neck. It took him about thirty seconds to realize that he was staring at his best friend. He shook his head and went back behind the counter. _What was the matter with him?_ A couple seconds later, Hermione came out of the door carrying a package.

"Oh!" she said, almost dropping it. "Hey Harry!"

"Hey Hermione, what's in the package?" Harry asked before he could stop himself.

"Oh…just new uniforms," she replied. Harry saw her cheeks turn pink and grinned.

"Yeah, I could use some new ones myself," he replied.

"I can stay and wait for you if you'd like," she offered.

"If you want to…where's Ron?" he asked, noticing he was nowhere to be seen.

"I think he went to get some ice cream," she replied.

"Ok, well, this'll only take a second," Harry said.

Madam Malikin took him to the back room and put some robes over his head. She pinned them up to the correct length, and used a shearing charm to cut off the excess, which wasn't much. He paid for his robes, and he and Hermione went onto the street and sat on a nearby bench.

"So…" Hermione said hesitantly, "how did the wills turn out?" Harry sighed.

"It was pretty deep. I got Sirius' house and my parent's land. They told me about their prophecy, which explained a lot. I also own the Black family vault, but I haven't looked in there yet. It was so weird…seeing my parents talking to me," he said. Hermione put a comforting arm around him.

"Yeah I'd be wierded out too…but at least you know that they care."

"Oh gag me with a spoon, Mudblood!" Harry and Hermione whipped around. Malfoy was standing behind them, holding a long brown package.

"Malfoy, I swear, if you say that to Hermione again, I'll curse you into oblivion!" Harry said, putting his hand on his wand, which was in his pocket.

"Oh, now I'm scared," Malfoy sneered. "Maybe I'll just fly away on my new broomstick!" Harry frowned.

"What, are there more people trying out for the Slythern team this year, so you have to buy more talent or what?" Harry asked.

"For your information, Potty, this is the top of the line Serpent. Oh sure, it comes in the Phoenix model too…but the Serpent's so much more…powerful than a phoenix, that I just had to pick it. It outdoes the old firebolt ten to one! We'll see who's going to win the cup this year; the mudblood lovers or the superior purebloods. I bet no one on your entire team could afford this…especially those Weasleys. They're so poor, they don't even have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of! And what's with this mudblood, Potter? I personally think Chang was better looking than her. Oh sure, she's fine if you're into chipmunks, but seriously!"

Harry was shaking with anger.

"Harry, don't!" Hermione whispered anxiously. She quickly reached in his pocket and slid his wand from his hand, but he did nothing. All of a sudden, Harry flew at Malfoy and starting punching him.

"You'll pay for that, Malfoy!" he yelled, panting from the effort of punching Malfoy. Malfoy was struggling under Harry's weight, biting and scratching at him. Harry caught him across the jaw with a hard punch and he screamed.

"AHH! Get off me you filthy mudblood lover!" Malfoy rolled away, blood shining on his pale skin. They both stood up.

"I'm warning you, Malfoy. I'm not putting up with it this year," Harry growled. Malfoy turned on heel and walked away without another word. Harry turned around and looked at Hermione. She was staring at him with her mouth open.

"Harry…where did you learn to fight like that?" she asked.

"My cousin. I watched him beat up on little kids…oh yeah and I was his first punching bag, "he said, smiling. This caused him to wince, and he noticed that he had a split lip. Just then he spotted Ron coming out of Quality Quidditch Supplies clutching a jar of polish. He saw Harry and Hermione and ran to meet them.

"Harry what happened?" he asked when he saw his lip.

"Got into a scuffle with Malfoy," he replied.

"Who won?" Ron asked, his face paling at the sight of blood.

"Harry did," said Hermione, smiling at him. Harry swore his stomach did a somersault when she did that. "He kicked his arse!" Ron laughed and clapped Harry on the back.

"Good one, mate! Heaven knows he deserves it. Come on then, let's go to the Leaky Caldron for a round of butterbeers to celebrate!"

"Just a second," Hermione said. She pulled a tissue from her purse. "Here, Harry, before you get blood on your shirt."

"Thanks Hermione," Harry said, taking the tissue. He dabbed his lip carefully. He saw Hermione watching him intently. "What? Did I miss a spot?" he asked.

"No…it's nothing," she answered. He noticed that her ears were red, not unlike Ron's when he was embarrassed or under pressure.

"Come on guys, let's go!" Ron yelled from up the street. Harry and Hermione ran to catch up with him. When they reached the brick wall that separated Diagon Alley from the muggle world, Hermione gasped.

"Look!" Hanging on the wall was a large wanted poster similar to the one that once held Sirius' picture. It said,

Wanted!

By order of Ministry of Magic, the Dark Lord

Crimes include: torture and/or murder of countless victims, breaking and entering, fraud, and others. A full list may be viewed at the Ministry of Magic main office. Reward: 100,000,000,000,000,000 galleons

Ron gave a low, long whistle.

"Blimey, that's a lot of galleons." Harry looked at the picture. It was only a silhouette of a dark figure; he doubted it was really Voldemort in the picture.

"So the Ministry's finally wizened (a/n I don't think that's how u spell it P) up, then," he said. "It's about time."

"Come on, let's just skip the butterbeers and get back to Grimmuald place," Hermione said nervously. She grabbed Harry and Ron by the wrists and dragged them from the poster. The good feeling that Harry had after standing up to Malfoy had long gone. He sighed as they walked back to Gringott's, to the huge marble fireplace labeled _exit_. "What's the matter?" Hermione asked him.

"Nothing…I just feel like I need a…"

"A laugh?" said a pair of voices from behind him. He turned around and saw Fred and George leaning against the counter of Gringott's in their matching dragon scale jackets. "Follow us, young Harry! Come to the world of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!"


	5. A Flock of OWLs

The trio followed Fred and George out of Gringotts and down the crowded street. They walked past the robe shop, past the magical creatures shop, _past_ the wand shop, and finally came upon a small dingy building with a newly painted sign above it that read _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes._ Ron was grinning ear to ear; Hermione was obviously torn between telling them off and giggling madly. As for Harry…he was beyond words. He couldn't believe the twins, who'd slacked off so much in school, were able to open a successful joke shop in less than a year.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Fred said impatiently. "Come on in!" He pushed open the door and they followed them inside. The first thing Harry saw was a rack of Headless Hats, along with Handless Gloves, Footless shoes, and Legless pants. There were shelves of their special Weasley's Wildfire Wizbangs, and a large sign at the back of the store said _Skiving Snackboxes! _Hermione was studying a small box under a shelf labeled _Prank Potions_. Ron was looking closely at a new type of snackboxes; diarrhea doughnuts.

"Ron, are you seriously going to buy that?" Hermione asked.

"No, of course not!" Ron said, turning red and putting the package back on the shelf. Harry was looking at the portable items; portable swamp, portable quidditch pitch, portable desert, portable tundra, and portable pool complete with diving board and slide.

"Guys, this is pure genius!" Harry laughed, examining the quidditch pitch more closely. It even came with a small set of bleachers for each side! He chuckled and put it back.

After a half-hour of testing all of the products, Harry decided to buy some prank potions and Wildfire Wizbangs. He made his purchase to a grinning George, said goodbye, and finally set off for Grimmuald Place. He used some of the floo powder from the large marble vase at Gringotts, and seconds later he was standing in the kitchen of Grimmuald Place. Seconds later, Ron and Hermione appeared behind him with a _whoosh_. Harry glanced on the table and saw three letters bearing the Hogwarts crest; one each for him, Ron, and Hermione. He felt his stomach drop…their OWL results had finally arrived. Harry picked his up and said,

"So, who's ready for some excitement?" Hermione and Ron picked theirs up with nervous looks on their faces.

"On three then?" Hermione asked. They nodded. "One…two…three!" They each opened their letters. Harry saw that there were two pieces of parchment; one with a letter and one with his grades. He threw the letter on the table and looked at his grades.

O.W.L. Results: Harry James Potter

Transfiguration:

Exam-E

Practical-E

Charms:

Exam-O

Practical-E

Astronomy: Cancelled due to Distraction

Exam- n/a

Practical-n/a

History of Magic:

Exam-A

Potions:

Exam- A

Practical- O

Defense Against the Dark Arts

Exam-O

Practical-O

Divination:

Exam- D

Practical- T

Care of Magical Creatures

Exam- O

Practical-O

Final Score: 11 O.W.L.'s

Harry's jaw dropped. Eleven O.W.L.s was enough to become Head Boy! He looked at Hermione; her reaction looked the same as his. Ron's looked rather disgusted. Harry picked up his letter with shaking hands.

_Dear Harry,_

_Congratulations on an outstanding job on your O.W.L.s! We considered you for head boy, but thought it was unfair to have two heads from the same house, not to mention that there has never been a head boy who earned a "T" on one of his exams. Therefore, we will be making you a prefect instead, even though you're past 5__th__ year. Please understand that we're trying to create unity between Gryffindor and Slytherin, and we see this as a perfect opportunity to do so. Congratulations again, Harry, and keep studying hard!_

_Professor McGonagall_

_Headmistress of Gryffindor House and Hogwarts_

Harry gave a sigh of relief. He never really wanted to have the responsibility of head boy anyway. Plus he knew from the first day of class that he was going to fail Divination anyway. But one question remained...if he wasn't head boy, then who was? He looked again to Hermione: her eyes were flying back and forth across her letter, and she had a huge smile on her face. Then the smile turned to a look of horror, and she dropped her letter.

"What's up?" Harry asked, dreading the answer.

"How could Dumbledore do this?" she shrieked.

"Do what?" Ron asked, looking up from his own letter.

"Well, I got head girl…"

"No surprise there," Harry said grinning.

"But Malfoy's head boy!" she said, looking positively distraught. Harry and Ron went off.

"…If he even touches you!"

"The bloody traitor!"

"Impossible!"

"I….I'll have a few choice words with him!" Ron yelled, panting.

"All right! ENOUGH!" Hermione yelled. Harry and Ron stopped in mid sentence. "This is exactly why he's doing this; the house rivalry has reached the brink of war for Merlin's sake! Please, you two have to control your tempers this year! Now that we've got that settled…" she said, calming down a bit," how did you two do?"

"Awful! I completely bombed Divination and Potions!" Ron said weakly. "Mum is going to kill me! But I did get two O's in Defense Against the Dark Arts and two E's in Charms."

"I did better than I thought," Harry said, handing Hermione his grade sheet. "Divination totally kicked my rear, no surprises there, but I ended up with eleven total!"

"Hear hear!" Ron said enthusiastically. Hermione handed Harry his grade sheet with a look nothing short of pride.

"Harry, I'm so glad you did so well! I still think you should be head boy though."

"Well here's the letter they sent me," he replied, handing it to her. She read it and squealed with delight.

"Ohh! Congratulations Harry! You got made a prefect? That's wonderful!" she said, dropping the letter and giving him a bone-crushing hug.

"Good one, mate!" Ron said after Hermione let go of him. "Now we can dole out punishments together! We'll show those stuck-up Slythersnots!" Harry laughed at Ron's new nickname for the Slytherns. Hermione frowned, but didn't say anything.

"Hermione, wait a second...how did you do?" Harry asked. Hermione blushed profusely and handed him her sheet.

"STRAIGHT O'S?!? HERMIONE!" Both Harry and Ron nearly tackled Hermione in their excitement. Their celebration, however, was interrupted by Mrs. Weasley entering the kitchen.

"I take it you found your letters?" she asked. They all rushed to tell her how they did; Ron earned a good telling off for failing potions and divination, rival to that from his howler second year. Afterwards, they went upstairs to Harry and Ron's room and sat on the beds. They sat in silence, relishing the feeling that they were through their first set of horrible exams, and now only had to face their N.E.W.T.S. Then Harry decided to break the silence.

"Ron? I have something I think I should tell you." Hermione glanced nervously at him. Ron looked between them with a look of perplexity on his face.

"What is it?"

"Well…" he launched into the story of the prophecy, about how Dumbledore kept it from him for so many years, how he was marked equal, and how he must kill or be killed. By the time he was finished, Ron was looking worse for the wear.

"And you've got to kill him?" he asked for the fifth time.

"Yeah, that's why Dumbledore didn't just kill him at the department of mysteries last year. It would have been impossible," Harry explained.

"Bloody hell," Ron whispered.

"Don't let it bother you. I'm just concentrating on preparing myself this year. Hopefully I can learn some useful stuff from the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Harry said hopefully.

"I wonder who it is…" Hermione mused. "I hope it 's not another Umbridge."

"Wonder what ever happened to old Umbridge?" Ron asked.

"Who cares? Let's just be glad we don't have her again." Harry said firmly.

"I'm going to my room to read, ok guys?" Hermione said, standing up.

"Fine by me. I think I'll have a nap," said Harry, leaning back and stretching out on his bed. Hermione ruffeled his hair and walked out. Ron gave harry a look and said,

"What's up with you and her?"

"Nothing. We're friends Ron, you know that," he said, rolling over and closing his eyes. "Just friends."

Harry didn't see Ron roll his eyes.


	6. Hermione's Flight

**Thanks for the reviews! I'll go back at some point and edit a little deeper to get rid of those mistypes. Keep in mind that it's been over 3 years since I wrote this! I'm trying to edit more before I post though. I'd like to think that my grammar and spelling has improved since I was in high school ). Anyway, on with the story. **

Over the next three weeks, Harry tried his hardest to forget about his prophecy and his nightmares of Sirius, and enjoy the remainder of the summer. The day after their trip to Diagon Alley, he discovered that Kreacher, the Black family house elf, had mysteriously vanished. Hermione seemed to feel sorry for him, but Ron and Harry couldn't care less where he went; in their opinion he was no loss. The house was again falling into disrepair, being uninhabited for most of the summer. The Order had avoided the house for several months after Sirius' death. Harry, Ron, and Hermione could often be found cleaning out a spare room or making minor repairs.

The Sunday before they were due back at Hogwarts, Mrs. Weasley decided to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny a party (Ginny had been made a prefect). She invited all of the usual members of the Order along with Hermione's parents. She was preparing for the party all day; just as she was setting up two long wooden tables in the backyard, she yelled,

"Harry! Ron! Hurry up with the silverware!" Harry and Ron came out the back door seconds later, clutching handfuls of cutlery, looking grumpy because their game of wizard chess had been interrupted.

"Jeeze mum, keep your hair on! I bet the whole city heard you!" said an annoyed Ron.

"Well I wouldn't have to yell if you boys would just do what you're told," she said, waving her wand and conjuring up a checkered tablecloth. Then she flicked it and the silverware shot out of their hands and arranged itself neatly on the table.

"Nice touch mum!" came Ginny's voice from behind Harry. She and Hermione were each carrying a stack of plates from the kitchen. They set them on the table.

"Anything else we can do?" Hermione asked.

"No dear, I'll have the twins set up chairs. You just relax a bit," she replied, now stringing up small rainbow paper lanterns in the trees. Ginny turned to the others.

"I'm bored now. Wanna play Quidditch?" Harry gave her a skeptical look.

"Won't the muggles see us? They're right next door."

"Oh, don't worry about them. They backyard is protected as well as the house, so they can't even see us right now," Ron explained. "C'mon, we'll play two on two; me and Ginny versus you and Hermione."

"Sounds fair to me. Come on, let's get our brooms," Harry said. He and Ron ran up to their room and grabbed their brooms. A thought entered Harry's mind.

"Ron, does Hermione have a broom?"

"She can use my old one," Ron replied. "I brought it because I thought you'd want to play Quidditch sometime." He handed Harry the old broomstick and they went back outside. They saw Ginny and Hermione waiting for them in an open clearing with trees on either side.

"Here Hermione, you can use Ron's old broom," Harry said, handing it to her. She took it with an anxious look on her face. Ron was discussing their strategy with Ginny. "So, what's the game plan?" Harry asked Hermione.

"Harry," she said in an undertone, "I can't fly! You know that! I never learned how, thanks to _you _and_ Malfoy,_ interrupting our flying class!"

"Don't worry," he said laughing, remembering the incident which earned him the seeker position on Gryffindor's team. "There's really nothing to it!"

"But I'm deathly afraid of heights. I almost died when we rode on Buckbeak that one time, remember? She hissed. Harry thought for a moment. Then an idea popped into his head.

"Hey Ron, how about we just play some other time. I just remembered that I haven't packed yet," he said. "I'd like to get that done before the party."

"Oh yeah, me too!" Ginny said, smacking her forehead. "I have to get my stuff together so I won't forget something tomorrow. Come on Ron, you'd better pack too, or Mum'll have a fit!" She hurried away with Ron close behind. Hermione whispered

"Thanks!" She made to go back to the house but Harry grabbed her arm to stop her. "What?" she asked.

"You're not getting off that easy. Meet me right here after everyone's gone to bed. I'm going to teach you how to fly," he said.

"But-"Hermione started, and then fell silent when she saw the excided look on his face. "Fine. I'll be here," she said grudgingly.

"You better not stand me up," Harry said, and they walked back to the house.

Later that night, they were all sitting at the table in the backyard, talking and having fun. The packing was finished on time, for once, and the atmosphere was very relaxed. A large Gryffindor banner was strung between the trees, and the area was well lit from the multi-colored lanterns in the trees. Harry had just finished his homemade strawberry ice cream when he saw someone he thought he'd never see again

"PERCY! IS THAT YOU?" Mrs. Weasley shrieked.

"Mum! I'm so sorry!" he cried, as she caught him up in a hug. The whole table went silent. When Mrs. Weasley finally let go of him, he turned to the table. "Everyone," he said "I quit the Ministry. I want to apologize for being such a bloody arse the last year, especially to my family and Harry, for not believing him. Please…please forgive me." he finished, tears in his eyes. It was dead silent, but all at once, someone started clapping. It was, to Harry's surprise, Ron. Soon the whole table was clapping, and Percy looked relieved. Everybody clambered to talk to him, and no one hesitated to tell him how stupid he was, but he took it well in Harry's opinion. He looked at Hermione's parents, who looked rather confused. Hermione was explaining the situation to them. Then she caught his eye and motioned for him to come over.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Mum, Dad, this is Harry," she said.

"Nice to meet you, Harry," Hermione's mom said. She was very pretty, with the exact same hair color as Hermione, and almost the same height.

"Hello Harry," said her father, firmly shaking his hand. Hermione had his eyes; hazel with a hint of green. He wanted to talk to them more, but Mr. Weasley started bombarding them with questions about toasters, and Harry and Hermione walked a short distance away.

"So, you still on for the flying lesson?" he asked.

"I guess…" she replied doubtfully.

"Great, let's go!" Harry said, grabbing her arm and dragging her over to the clearing. He grabbed his broom, which had been leaning against a tree, and held it up. It hovered in midair.

"Right now?" Hermione hissed. "Are you crazy? You said after everyone was asleep?"

"Well…maybe I am a bit loony," Harry said, grinning. "Come on, get on." Hermione swung her leg over the broomstick and Harry got on behind her. He pulled his folded up invisibility cloak out of his pocket and threw it over them. "Now don't get nervous, I'm going to push off." She held on to the broom and Harry put one hand on the broomstick, the other arm around her waist so she wouldn't fall off. He kicked off from the ground and immediately felt Hermione's muscles tense up. They slowly rose above the trees and buildings of London.

"Relax," Harry whispered in her ear. Her eyes were firmly shut. He rose a little bit higher and said, "Open your eyes. Don't be afraid." Harry heard her gasp.

"It's beautiful!" she sighed. They could see the whole city of London; miniscule cars and buses lined the streets, and lights flicked on and off in buildings and houses. The stars were glimmering and the moon was but a sliver. He felt her relax and he eased his hand off the broomstick.

"There, you're flying now. Just turn it whatever way you want to go." Hermione slowly turned right, and then left. Before long, she could control it well by herself. She was having so much fun that she didn't even notice she was shivering. Harry felt her shaking against him. "Hermione, you're freezing!" he said.

"Wow, I guess it is getting cold up here," she replied. "Maybe we'd better get back before we're missed."

"You're right," Harry said. He put the broom into a dive, but a slow one. They landed with a soft thump on the dewy grass. They could still hear the party going in full swing. It was much warmer on the ground, but Hermione's hands were shaking.

"Thanks Harry. That was the most fun I've had in a long time. It's like I left my worries behind on the ground!" she said, positively glowing with happiness. Harry noticed that her hands were cold, hesitated, and then took them in his own.

"Me too," he whispered.

"Harry! Hermione! Where are you?" came Ron's voice from the table. He let go of her hands, and he felt his face getting hot.

"Coming!" they yelled, and went back to the party.


	7. Home, Sweet Home

Harry's trunk was packed; he had just lured a very disgruntled Hedwig back into her cage when he heard Mrs. Weasley's voice come from downstairs.

"Harry! Ron! Where are you? Get down here!" Ron was still in bed, snoring loudly. Harry shook him awake.

"Come on Ron, get your stuff together. We gotta get moving!" Harry said hurriedly, now dragging his trunk from the room. Ron jumped out of bed and threw some clothes on. Harry was about to lift his trunk up and lug it down the stairs when Mrs. Weasely appeared at the bottom.

"_Locomotor trunk!_" she said, pointing her wand at the trunk. She levitated it all the way to the front door for him. "There you are, Harry dear."

"Thanks Mrs. Weasley!" he said. He opened the front door and saw Moody, Lupin, and Tonks waiting for them in front a single purple ministry car. Harry gave them a look that plainly asked, _Why are you here?_

"Hello boy," Moody said, nodding at him. "We're here to see you off on the train." Harry felt his face burning.

"I don't need a babysitter," he mumbled.

"Oh come on, Harry, we're just a precaution. Besides, only two of us are really on duty anyway," said Tonks with a mischievous look on her face.

"Huh? Who's not on-"

"RON!!!" Came a shrill yell from the house. Seconds later, Ron came bursting out the front door, dragging his trunk.

"Keep your hair on, mum! I'm going!" he said angrily. "I swear, sometimes she just gets too riled up," he said in an undertone to Harry.

"I suppose she means well though," Harry replied. He carried his trunk to the back of one of the cars and hoisted it into the trunk. It had magically expanded to be able to fit all of their luggage comfortably. He saw that Ginny and Hermione were already sitting in the back seat, chatting about the D.A. and whether they should keep having meetings.

"If we have a competent teacher we might not have to keep it up," Hermione said.

"But it's so much fun!" Ginny exclaimed. Harry made a last check on his trunk and Hedwig's cage to make sure they were secure and slid in the back seat beside Hermione.

"Did you oversleep?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"Yeah, I guess," he replied. Meanwhile, Ron was cramming his trunk into the back; apparently, he wasn't being polite to the car and it kept revving it's motor at him and taking up the space in the back so his trunk wouldn't fit. Harry heard a couple words escape his mouth that he knew he wouldn't have said in front of Mrs. Weasley. He finally managed to get his trunk in and closed the tailgate. He got in the car, followed by Moody, Tonks, and Lupin. The car must have sensed that there wasn't enough room because a middle row materialized in front of them and the car stretched so it was more like a station wagon. Mrs. Weasley got in the front seat and looked at her watch.

"Merlin! We've only got twenty minutes! Step on it, Timms!" she said to the driver. The elderly driver nodded politely and punched the gas. He drove like a maniac to King's Cross Station (Harry was strongly reminded of the Knight Bus) and they made it with only five minutes to spare. Everybody quickly unloaded their trunks and ran to the barrier between platforms nine and ten.

"Come on, Harry and Ron!" Lupin yelled. He grabbed both their arms and pulled them through the barrier. Platform 9 ¾ appeared in front of him, and Harry saw the great scarlet steam engine with the words Hogwarts Express neatly painted on the side. He turned around just as Hermione, Ginny, Tonks, and Mrs. Weasley were coming through. They all ran full tilt to the train and loaded their luggage. Mrs. Weasley was just handing Ron Pig's cage when they heard the conductor shout,

"All Aboard!"

"Have a good term everyone!" Mrs. Weasley shouted. The door slid shut and the train started moving. Harry started toward the back of the train, but Hermione grabbed his sleeve.

"Prefects meeting, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," Harry said. He had almost forgotten that he was a prefect in the usual chaos of boarding the train. He followed Ron and Hermione up the corridor, drawing many curious looks from inside the compartments. He came to a great oak door with a golden doorknob. Hermione opened the door, and Harry saw a magnificent room with deep blue carpet and curtains of all the house colors in the windows. There was a great banner bearing the Hogwarts crest on the back wall, and there were comfortable looking poufs scattered throughout the room. They were the only people in the room at the time. Harry nervously took a seat. Hermione walked to the front of the room and took a sheaf of parchment out of her bag.

"Hermione, aren't you running this meeting?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I just have to tell you what you can and can't do, and what to watch out for…things like that," she said, arranging her papers.

"Excellent…so you'll make it quick, right? I'm starving!" Ron said, rubbing his stomach.

"Honestly Ron, it's your own fault you overslept and missed breakfast, " she said, shaking her head.

"Maybe if he'd grow up and not rely on his fat mummy to do everything for him, he would have gotten up on time," came a voice from the door. Draco Malfoy strutted in, his white blond hair slicked back and his icy blue eyes flashing. Ron stood up, clenching his fists.

"Ron,NO!" Hermione said sternly. "Just let it go." He slowly sat down, glaring at Malfoy with hatred on his face.

"That's right, Weasley," Malfoy whispered, as people started filing into the carriage. "Listen to the mudblood."

It took all of Harry's willpower to keep him from unleashing a wicked curse on Malfoy. He was still glowering as Hermione called the meeting to order. Malfoy looked as though he was enjoying all the attention_. If he does anything to Hermione_, Harry thought. Just as he thought this, one of the lamps behind Malfoy exploded, sending shards of glass everywhere. Everyone looked around nervously…except Hermione, who was giving Harry a curious look. He shrugged and she continued on with the meeting. He noticed that many people were giving him weird, almost sympathetic looks. Harry ignored them; he didn't want their pity. His mind drifted throughout the whole meeting. Finally, almost a half hour later, Hermione called the meeting to a close. Harry stood up and stretched; the carriage was emptying quickly, and Hermione was carefully putting her papers into her school bag.

"All right, let's go find a compartment," Hermione said, closing her bag. They went out into the corridor and finally found Neville and Luna sitting together in the last compartment. Neville was gazing out the window, and Luna was reading The Quibbler upside-down again. She was wearing earrings in the shape of large purple carrots and her wand was behind her ear, as always. When they walked in, she looked up.

"Hello, Ronald," she said dreamily. "Did you have a good holiday?"

"Er…it was all right," Ron replied, giving Harry and Hermione a look that plainly said _help_. All they did was grin at him and sit down. Ron sank into a seat, looking very embarrassed. Luna went back to The Quibbler, completely oblivious to the exchange between the trio.

"Where's Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"I have no idea. She left the meeting before we did, didn't she?" Harry asked.

"She's probably sitting with some other friends," Ron said absentmindedly.

"Here, have some Cauldron Cakes," said Neville, handing them each two. They ate them in silence, each with their own thoughts.

"So…are we doing the D.A. this year?" Neville asked. Harry looked up. "I don't know. Maybe if enough people want to…" he said.

"I'm sure even more people will want to join, now that they know the truth," Hermione said feverently. "I can't believe them."

"I would love to re-form Dumbledore's Army," Luna said, her pale eyes gazing at Harry over the top of her magazine. At the mention of Dumbledore's name, Harry felt a strange feeling in his mind; it felt as if there was a presence. All of a sudden, his scar exploded with pain. He yelled and fell to the floor, clutching his scar. He heard screams, and felt someone next to him. All of a sudden, he felt a barrier in his mind break.

_"Hello Harry," an icy voice said. _

_"Who are you?" Harry asked frightfully. _

_"You know who I am," the voice replied. "Come now, Harry. Tell me where the book is, and I promise I won't bother you again."_

_"You liar," Harry snarled. "Voldemort!"_

_"Very good, Potter," his voice said. "Of course…you probably don't even know about the powers the book holds. You're just an ignorant boy."_

_"I don't know what the hell you're talking about. Get out of my head!"_ Harry yelled. With all his might, with every fiber of his being, he forced Voldemort from his mind. Then everything went black…

"Harry! Harry please wake up!" Harry slowly opened his eyes. His head was throbbing painfully.

"What happened?" he whispered. He felt someone hand him his glasses. He pushed them up the bridge of his nose and saw Hermione kneeling beside him, her face chalk white, tears in her eyes. Ron was sitting, also very pale, making his fiery red hair stand out more than usual. Neville looked as though he would faint. Luna, however, looked mildly bored.

"You had a…a sort of fit," Ron said nervously.

"Your eyes…they were like snake eyes," Hermione said, her voice quaking. With Hermione's help, he sat up and put his face in his hands.

"It was Voldemort. He was in my head," Harry whispered, so only Ron and Hermione could hear him. Hermione gasped.

"But how? What did he say?"

"He asked me about a book…I don't know what he was talking about though," Harry said, massaging his scar. It was still tingling. "Then I kind of…forced him out, I guess."

"Blimey, you had us scared for a second. We thought you weren't going to come out of it," Ron said.

"We were so worried," Hermione said, tears rolling down her cheeks. Harry pulled her into a hug.

"Don't worry, I'm fine…" he whispered. They separated and she helped him onto his seat. "Are we almost to Hogwarts?"

"We'll be there soon. We'd better change," Ron said, standing up. "You sure you're okay, mate?" he asked Harry.

"I'm fine. I'll talk to Dumbledore when we get to school," he said shortly. He didn't feel like talking about what happened, especially in the presence of Neville and Luna. Hermione and Luna left to change, and Ron, Neville, and Harry changed in the compartment. Harry sank into the seat by the window, staring out it. The weather was better than it had been in past years; no rain, but it was pitch black outside. Just as the girls reentered the carriage, Harry saw what he had been longing for all year…Hogwarts castle.

"I'm finally home," he whispered, smiling.


	8. Familiar Faces

Harry stood at the gate flanked with winged boars, eyeing the thestrals. With a sharp pang he remembered how he and the others rode them to the Ministry of Magic in London right before last term ended_. That's where Sirius died…it's almost been three months now,"_ he thought sadly. He saw Hermione gazing at the carriages, but he knew she couldn't see the reptilian beasts hitched to them (a/n or did she see someone die at the ministry?). He silently followed her to the nearest carriage and got in, followed by Ron.

"Are you okay Harry?" Hermione asked for the tenth time.

"Yes, I'll be fine once we get to the school," he sighed. "I just wish I could be a little stronger and stop him from doing that. Hermione put her hand on his shoulder; he swore he felt a tingling sensation when she did.

"Don't worry Harry. If anyone can control Voldemort, you can," she said softly. He gave her a weak smile, reached up, and squeezed her hand. _What is happening to me?_ He thought to himself. _First I get possessed by Voldemort, now I'm feeling strange about Hermione. But she's just my friend_, he told himself firmly. _I can't put her in any more danger than she's already in._

"Finally," Ron said, as the carriage rolled to a stop. "I'm starving!" Hermione rolled her eyes and got out. Harry jumped out and gave the thestral a quick pat on the head before following her into the Great Hall. Just as he was about to sit down, Professor McGonagall tapped him on the shoulder.

"Professor Dumbledore wants to see you," she said sternly. Harry glanced at Ron and Hermione and followed her to his office. She walked to the large stone gargoyle and said the password (_skiving snackbox_) and they rode the stairs to the top. She knocked on the door and it creaked open. Suddenly Harry was face to face with Dumbledore, and he instantly felt any anxiety fade away.

"Thank you Minerva. Could you lead the sorting? I need to talk to Harry."

"Of course, Albus," she said, and left. Dumbledore turned to Harry.

"Harry, I heard from a teacher on the train that you had a problem on the way here," he said calmly. He led Harry to the chair in front of his desk and Harry took a seat.

"There was a teacher on the train?" he asked, perplexed.

"Oh yes, of course! She was in disguise though, so she could keep an eye on you. And I see now that it was a well-taken measure. Tell me about it, if you wish," he said, his eyes full of concern.

"Well…" Harry said hesitantly, "I felt Voldemort in my head. It was like he possessed me. I could feel that someone was intruding in my mind, like Professor Snape did last year in my Occulmency classes, and all of a sudden, he was just there," he finished in a rush. Dumbledore looked like he was deep in thought.

"Harry, was this encounter with Voldemort worse than last year?" he asked.

"Yeah…yeah I could feel him. Hermione said my eyes looked like snake eyes too," he said miserably.

"Harry, I'm afraid that you won't be happy with me because of this…but I think you should restart Occulmency lessons with Professor Snape this year."

"What?!" Harry asked angrily. "He just pried into my personal thoughts and made my mind more vulnerable! How do I know he wasn't trying to weaken me up?"

"We talked about this last year, Harry," Dumbledore said patiently. "I trust Professor Snape. Please understand, I cannot allow you to open your mind in my presence. You could do me, or any member of the order for that matter, great harm if something happens. I know it seems selfish, but that is the only reason Professor Snape agreed to teach you last year. Please make the best of it," he said. "Now, let's go to the feast. You must be starving." Harry stood up and went to the door. Before he went out, he turned to Dumbledore and said,

"Voldemort asked me about a book. I had a dream with Sirius in it and he asked me about it too. Just thought you'd want to know," he said, and walked out. He didn't see Dumbledore's astonished look.

The next morning at breakfast, their class schedules were handed out. Harry glanced at his, with Hermione looking over his shoulder.

"Well, looks like we have every class together except Arithmancy," she said happily. "I decided to drop Ancient Runes, it's just too boring now."

"I still can't believe I made it into Snape's N.E.W.T. potions class," Harry said, shaking his head. "Its amazing how much easier potions is without that greaseball breathing down your neck."

"How come you weren't at dinner last night?" Ron said, having just arrived from the common room.

"I didn't feel like it," he said. "I just wanted to get to bed."

"Then you don't know who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is!" Hermione said brightly. Harry looked at the head table and his jaw dropped. A young woman with spiky, cherry red hair was sitting next to Snape chatting animatedly with Professor Vector.

"_Tonks_?" Harry said, astounded. Hermione and Ron nodded excitedly.

"Can you believe it? We'll finally have a good year!" He said happily. Harry snorted.

"Maybe you will, but I still have Snape," he said, rolling his eyes. "I should've failed potions on purpose. I would have if it wasn't needed to become an Auror."

"So you still want to be one then?" Hermione asked him.

"Yeah, definitely," he replied.

"I'm glad. I'm sure you'll make a great Auror someday," she said, smiling at him. His stomach did a flip-flop, and he silently reprimanded it as he stood to go to class. Hermione stood up too.

"I guess we'd better get to potions," Harry said dejectedly. "What do you have first Ron?"

"Muggle studies," he groaned. "Mum made me take it. I guess I'll see you around," he said, and left. Harry and Hermione headed out of the Great Hall and down to the dungeons where Snape's classroom was. They walked into the room and saw Malfoy sitting by himself at a table, which was very unusual. He looked tired, and he didn't even throw a nasty remark at them. Hermione gave Harry a perplexed look and sat down. Harry sat beside her. More people started coming into the room, but the class looked fairly small. He noticed that he and Hermione were the only two Gryffindors in the class. He heard the bell and Snape came out of his office.

"Class, this is N.E.W.T. potions, year one, possibly the most difficult class offered at Hogwarts. I do not tolerate failure; if you fail, you will be eliminated. Do I make myself clear," he said nastily, shooting Harry a venomous look. Everybody nodded. "Good. Today you'll be making a rather simple potion…simple, that is, if you possess even a drop of common sense" he said, sneering at Harry. "It's called the Sleeping Draft; if you've been to the hospital wing you're probably familiar with it. Be warned, if you screw it up, it could put the drinker into an irreversible sleep, and you will be testing it on your partners, so I suggest you do it right. The instructions," he said, waving his wand at the blackboard, where spiky letters appeared, "are on the board. Begin." Harry looked to Hermione and said,

"Well, here goes nothing."

An hour later, Harry was just finishing his potion. It was a lavender color, close to Hermione's, which was a rich purple color. Snape walked over to them, looked at Harry's potion, and sneered.

"We'll begin testing now…Potter, you first." Harry nervously scooped some of his potion in a glass and handed it to Hermione. She took it, smiling, as if to reassure him. She drank it, and Harry saw her eyelids droop. Her knees gave out, and Harry quickly reached out and caught her before she hit the ground. The class let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, Potter, it seems that at least some of the instructions reached through your thick skull. Now try waking her up," he said, with a malicious look on his face. He walked to another pair to watch them test their potion. Harry shook her gently.

"Hermione? Hermione wake up." The class watched them intently. She didn't stir. "Hermione!" Harry said a little louder. "Professor Snape!" he yelled.

"What do you want, Potter?" he snarled.

"She's not waking up!" Snape turned around lazily.

"Maybe if you could make a potion without screwing up," he said, going back to watching the other pairs.

"Professor!" Harry said, more urgently this time,"I'm serious! She won't wake up!"

"Well, do something about it," he said in an unconcerned voice. Harry considered. If he took Hermione to the hospital wing, he would be proving that his potion was wrong, and Snape would probably kick him out. On the other hand, Hermione could be put into an irreversible sleep from the potion. _Well, this is a no brainer_, he thought, and started toward the door, when Snape stopped him.

"Where are you going, Potter?" he asked nastily.

"To the hospital wing," he replied shortly.

"Why would you be going there? Your potion isn't dangerous," he said.

"Then why isn't she waking up?" Harry asked.

"She's supposed to be put into a deep sleep, you dolt. Didn't you read the pages that were assigned over the summer?"

"No sir," Harry whispered.

"Well, if you would have, then you would know that when I told you to wake her up, you would be unable to. Ten points from Gryffindor for ignoring your assigned reading" he sneered, turning back to another pair of students. Harry breathed a deep sigh of relief. Who cared about points, Hermione was fine! He gently lay Hermione on the floor. Sure enough, twenty minutes later, Hermione started to stir.

"Ooohhh…" she sat up and yawned. "That was a good sleep. How long was I out for?" she asked Harry.

"Only about 20 minutes…after you drank the potion, I tried to wake you up and couldn't. I almost took you to the hospital wing," he said, feeling rather stupid.

"Well, once the person takes the potion, they can't be woken up until it wears off," she replied. "Didn't you read about it over the summer?"

"No," he said, feeling foolish. Just then, Snape dismissed them with a 3 feet long essay on the Sleeping draft and its effects. Harry groaned. "Homework already?"

"Well, it is N.E.W.T. standard to have more homework," Hermione said cheerfully. He followed her out the door and up to the main floor of the castle. They saw Ron emerge from behind a tapestry on the right.

"Hey Ron, how was muggle studies?" Hermione asked.

"Awful! I can't understand how muggles get on without magic! I think you're going to have to help me with this class…what the bloody hell is a parking meter?" he asked. Harry and Hermione laughed.

"I'll explain later," she said, still chortling. They saw Malfoy cross the hall in front of them. He was by himself; Crabbe and Goyle were nowhere in sight.

"What's with Malfoy?" Ron asked, watching him walk across the hall. Instead of his usual strut, he was limping a bit and still looked tired.

"I don't know," Hermione said. "He didn't look good in Potions today."

"Maybe he's finally getting what he deserves," Harry said. Hermione frowned.

"I have a feeling it's something more serious than that."


End file.
